At 6-9, Zdeno Chara is the NHL's biggest player. He's also been one of its best defensemen for a decade or so, and is the centerpiece of the Bruins' blue line. He won the Norris Trophy in 2009.

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P.K. Subban - Montreal Canadiens

Subban, still just 23, is the reported Norris Trophy winner for 2013. He can do everything—run a power play, kill penalties, play against top competition—and he's only just getting started. Scary.

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Ryan Suter - Minnesota Wild

Suter's first season with the Minnesota Wild proved that he could maintain elite status on his own. He's well-rounded, smart and steady as they come.

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Patrice Bergeron - Boston Bruins

Among forwards, Bergeron's defensive skills are without peer. He's on his way to a second Selke Trophy because of his amazing face-off skills and ability to shut down virtually any other forward in the game.

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Kris Letang - Pittsburgh Penguins

Letang had an uneven playoff run, but during the regular season, his defensive skills nearly matched his offensive talent. Letang, one of the best skaters in the game, doesn't get enough credit on the defensive end.

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Jonathan Toews - Chicago Blackhawks

Toews' reputation as one of the best defensive forwards in the league is deserved, and he does it all while captaining the Blackhawks and playing on their top line.

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Pavel Datsyuk - Detroit Red Wings

Datsyuk is known by many for his highlight-reel goals, but he has been a dominant all-around center for his entire career. The three-time Selke winner defined two-way play for his era.

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Boyd Gordon - Phoenix Coyotes

Gordon, also a forward, is a bit of an unorthodox choice, since he doesn't produce many points, but his work against top players and in the defensive zone and face-off circle deserves recognition.

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Shea Weber - Nashville Predators

Weber's got more than a cannon of a shot—the Predators captain is a physical force against top competition, night in and night out.

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Duncan Keith - Chicago Blackhawks

Keith also is the total package and a former Norris winner, in 2009. Still just 29, Keith skates, plays physically, plays positionally—he's fantastic.

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Drew Doughty - Los Angeles Kings

Doughty, earlier in his career, was known for offense, but his defensive skills have caught up. He was a major part of the Kings' Stanley Cup run in 2012.

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Oliver Ekman-Larsson - Phoenix Coyotes

If he played anywhere else, Ekman-Larsson would be a household name. Still just 21, he's a rock-steady cornerstone for the Coyotes franchise.

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Dan Girardi - New York Rangers

Girardi had a rough season for the Rangers, but he remains one of the best defensive defenseman in the league, particularly during the 2011-12 campaign.

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Dion Phaneuf - Toronto Maple Leafs

Phaneuf also doesn't get the credit he deserves for his work on the defensive end; no player faced tougher competition than he did for the Leafs.